Clothes-drier



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--SheetL A. A. SMEDSTAD. CLOTHES DRIBR.

NM1/15,743. Patentednov. 26, '1889.

l Ti

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

A. A. SMEDSTAD.

GLUTHES DRIER.

Patented Nov. 26

8 @d n M ,J .M y.

N PUENS. Pham-Limognphnr, washington. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT i OEEICE.

ANDRE\V A. SMEDSTAD, OF FARGO, (DAKOTA TERRITORY,) .NORTH DAKOTA.

CLOTHES-DRIER.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,743, dated November 26, 1889.

Application filed May 14, 1889. Serial No. 310,707. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW A. SMEns'rAn, a citizen of the United States, residing at. Fargo, in the county of Cass and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Rack, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to clothes-racks of that class adapted to be suspended from the ceiling or from any suitable support and when not in use to be folded into a small space for convenient storage in a closet, locker, or the like; and the invention consists, broadly, of four upper and four lower arms pivoted to each ot-her in pairs at one end at points which form the vertical center of the rack, and from which point they converge toward their upper and lower ends; of four upper braces pivoted to said upper arms slightly above said vertical center and adapted t-o be detachably connected within the center of the rack, and of` two lower braces pivoted to two of the lower arms at their lower ends and adapted to make removable connection with the lower ends of the two remaining arms.

The invention also consists of certain details of construction and arrangements of parts, all as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which the same letters of reference are applied to corresponding' parts in the several views, Figure l is a perspective View of the rack complete when in its open or distended position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the point of crossing of the upper braces, the upper pair of said braces being shown as just coming into position and the lower pair as locked. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the lower end of the rack, showing the lowermost of the lower braces just cominginto position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rack when closed.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, H

are four upper arms, each of which is preferably composed of two strips riveted together near their upper ends and diverging slightly near their lower ends to permit the other members of the rack to be inserted and pi voted therebetween.

C are four cords, each connecting the upper end of one of the Lipper arms Il with a ring F, and the latter is adapted to be engaged with a hook in the ceiling or othersupport or to receive a rope R', which is passed over a pulley or connected to such support.

X are four lower arms pivoted at their. upper ends, between the lower ends of the strips of which the upper arms are composed.

J are cords vupon which the clothes to be dried are hung, these cords passing around the frame in parallelism with each other and at suitable distances apart, engaging eyes or holes in the upper and lower arms at their points of intersection therewith. A B C D are the upperbraces, whose outer ends are pivoted between the strips of which the upper arms are composed, preferably a slight distance above the pivotal point between the upper and lower arms-z'. e., the vertical center of the rack. The brace A has a beveled free end V, and the brace B has a correspondinglybeveled cleat K, secured to the side of its body in a proper position to engage said beveled end when the two braces are in their distended position. The brace B has a rounded free end R, and the brace A has a concave-faced cleat O, secured to its side opposite to that side ofthe brace B upon which the cleat K is secured and adapted to engage said rounded end when the two braces are in their distended position. In the same manner the brace O has a beveled end and a concave-faced cleat, and the brace D" has a rounded end and a beveled cleat. It will be understood that the braces A B, when distended and locked together, stand diagonally across the interior of the rack from one corner upper arm H to another, and the braces D C', when distended and locked together, stand diagonally across the interior of the rack at right angles to the braces A B and connect the remaining pair of corner upper arms H. The braces A B are provided with notches a. b in their under faces, which are adapted to register when the braces are locked together, and the braces O D are similarly provided with notches c d in their upper faces, and when all said braces are in their distended position the double notches a b and c d enter each other and constitute a inortisei connection between the double braceA B and the double brace C D. A hook his pivoted IOO to one outer side of one of the upper braces,

lto each other at suitable points.

bodies of the lower braces to rigidly hold the four braces in locked position.

Z and Z2 are the lower braces, each of whose bodies comprise a pair of strips riveted Between the adjacent ends of one pairof strips is pivoted the lower end of one of the lower arms X, and between the other adjacent end thereof is riveted a notched block N ,adapted to removably receive and retain the lower end of the diagonally-opposite lower arm X. The other brace Z2 is similarly constructed and connected with reference to the'remainin g two lower arms X X. The brace Z is provided with a central notch z in its lower face, and the brace Z2 with a central notch z2 in its upper face, the same as are the upper braces A B (YD, and these two notches z z2 are adapted to enter each other and constitute a mortise-connection between the lower braces Z Z2, in the same manner as above described. A second hook h', similar 1o that above mentioned, is used to lock the braces Z Z2 together.

To the ring F, I preferably attach a stout cord G, which, when the rack is in its proper position, passes down through the same and is given one or more turns around the upper and the lower braces at their points of cross# ing, the more firmly to hold them together and the more strongly to support the whole device.

The use and operation of my improved clothes-rack are as follows: The rack being removed from the closet, locker, or other place of storage in its folded condition, as shown in Fig. 4E, if now it is desired to unfold the same and suspend it for the purpose of hanging clothes thereon, the cord G is first unwound from around the whole; whereby the several arms and braces are loosened. The ring F is then attach ed to a hook or connected to the supporting-rope R and the rack pulled vup to the desired position above the floor or ground. Next the free ends of the lower arms X are grasped by the operator and drawn downward from their folded position (which is within the folded rack and approximately parallel to the upper arms, against whose inner faces they lie) until they assume the position shown in Fig. l. Next-the two braces A B are turned down upon the pivots at their outer ends, the rounded inner end R of the brace B inserted within the concave-faced cleat 'O of the brace A, and both braces passed farther downward until they occupy a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the beveled cleat K prevents the dropping of the braces below a horizontal plane; also that said cleats are beveled transversely as well as vertically, whereby the lateral disconnection of the braces is avoided. The rounded cleats O of the brace A are also beveled transversely for the same purpose. Next the two remaining upper braces C D are brought down in a similar manner and the hook h thereon engaged beneath the braces A B, as above described. The uppermost lower brace Z is then swung into position and its notched block N engaged with the lower end of one of the lower arms X. The remaining lower brace Z2 is next swung into position and its block similarly engaged. Next the hook 7L" is engaged the same as the hook h, above described; and, iinally, the cord G is passed downwardly through the rack and wound one or more times around each point of crossing between the two pairs of braces. The rack is then in a completely-(listended position, as shown in Fig. l, and the clothes maybe hung on the cords J thereof, the operator remaining in one point and rotating the rack as fast as the clothes are hung thereon.

My improved rack is neat, light, convenient, and serviceable. It maybe stored with ease, occupies but little space when folded, and may the more easily be kept clean, so as not to soil theclothes that are hung thereon. It is obvious that the use of the same is not confined to that specified, as it may be employed for a number of purposes-as, for instance, the displaying of merchandise, the exhibiting of advertising matter, or the drying or evaporation of fruit; or it may, with slight modifications, be used as a cage for birds or as a substitute for Christmas-trees.

I do not conne myself to the precise form, construction, and arrangement of parts, as a considerable departure may be made therefrom without materially affecting the nature and scope of the invention. For instance, there may be an almost unlimited number of side arms with a' corresponding number of braces, there may be top braces similar to the bottom braces Z, or there may be additional internal braces similar to those lettered A B C D and located above or below the vertical center of the rack.

l claim as the salient points of my inventionl. As a new article of manufacture, apendent clothes-rack, the same comprising upright side arms, cords connecting the upper ends of s aid arms to a supporting-ring, and braces between each diametrically-opposite pair of side arms, the said arms and braces being adapted to be folded substantially as shown and described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a pendent clothes-rack, the same comprising upper side arms converging toward their upper ends, lower side arms converging toward their lower ends, said upper and lower arms being pivoted together at about the center of the complete rack, in combination with cords connecting' the upper ends of said upper arms to a supporting-ring, internal braces pivoted at their outer ends to said upper arms near said vertical center, and adapted to make removable and detachable connection at their inner meeting ends, and lowerbraces pivoted to the IOO IIO

IZO

lower ends of certain of said lower sidearms, and adapted to make removable and detachable connection at their free ends with the lower ends of the diametrically-opposite lower side arms, all substantially as described.

3. In a clothes-rack, the arms ll, each comprising two strips connected at their upper ends, and the cords C, leading from said connected upper ends to a common supportingring F, in combination with the pairs of braces A I3 and C D, Apivoted at their outer ends between said strips and lapping each other at their inner ends, and the cleats O and V, secured to the bodies of said braces and adapted to engage the free ends of the companion braces, substantially as described.

4C. In a clothes-rack, the arms I-I, each comprising two strips connected at their upper ends, and the cord C, leading from said connected upper ends to a common supportingring F, in combination with the pairs of braces A B and C D', pivoted at their outer ends between said strips and lapping each other at their inner ends, and the cleats O and V, secured to the bodies of said bases and adapted to engage the free ends of the companion braces, and with a hook 7i, pivoted to one of the upper braces and adapted to detachably engage the bodies of the lower braces, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a clothes-rack, the arms X and a device for supporting them, in combination with the braces Z r 2, each comprising` a pair of strips connected to each other at suitable points between the adjacent ends of the strips, at one end of each of said braces the lower ends of certain of said arms being pivoted, notched blocks N, secured between the other adjacent ends of said strips and adapted to detachablyreceive the lower ends of the arms diametrically opposite, and a hook 7L', pivoted to one ot" the upper braces and adapted to be detachably engaged with the bodies of the lower braces, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a clothes-rack, the combination, with the side arms, of a pair of horizontal braces A B, pivoted at their outer end to said arms, one of said braces, as A, having a vertically andtransversely beveled free end V, and the other of said braces, as B, having a rounded and beveled free end R, the beveled cleat K, secured to one side of the brace B and adapted to engage said beveled end V, and the rounded cleat O, secured to the opposite side of the brace Aand adapted to engage said rounded end R, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a clothes-rack, the combination, with the side arms, of a pair of horizontal braces A B, cleats thereon each adapted to detachably engage the free end of the companion brace, a second pair of braces C D', similar cleats thereon, the outer ends of all of said braces being' pivoted to said arm, and the bodies of each pair at their lapping points being' provided with registering notches, said combined notches engaging each other when the braces are in position, and effecting a mortised locking of each pair of braces to the other pair, substantially as described.

S. In a clothes-rack, the combination, with the side arms, of the braces Z Z2, each coinprising a pair of strips connected to leach other at suitable points between the adjacent ends of the strips, at one end at each of the said braces the lower ends of certain of said arms are pivoted, the uppermost brace Z having a notch e in its lower face, and the vlowermost brace Z2 having a notch .z2 in its upper face, said notches engaging each other when the braces are in position and effecting a mortised locking thereof, notched blocks N, secured between the free ends of the strips of each brace and adapted to detach-- ably receive the lower ends of the arms diametrically opposite, and a hook h', pivoted to the uppermost brace Z and adaptedto be detachably engaged with the body of the lowermost brace Z2, substantially as described.

9. The herein-described clothes-rack, the Same comprising upper arms converging toward their upper ends, lower arms -converg- `ing toward their lower ends, said upper and lower arms being pivoted together at about the vertical center of the complete rack, and horizontal cords J, connecting said arms and located in parallelism with each other, in combination with braces connecting said upper arms and adapted to make removable connection within the interior of the rack at their inner meeting ends, braces pivoted to the lower ends of certain of said lower arms and adapted to make removable connection at their free ends with the lower ends of the diametrically-opposite lower arms, all of said braces being notched and removably mortised together at their points of intersection, cords secured to the upper ends of the upper arms, a ring to which the free ends of said cords are attached, and a supplemental cord G, connected at its upper end to said ring and passing downwardly through the center of the rack, said supplemental cord engaging all of said braces at their points of intersection when the rack is distended, and serving as a wrapping-cord when the same is folded, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set-forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW A. SMEDSTAD. lVitncsses:

H. P. Lonen, F. .I-I. WARREN.

IOO 

